Green Light
|next = |season = 3}} "Green Light" is the fourth episode of the third season of Breaking Bad and the twenty-fourth episode altogether. Teaser At a desert gas station, Jesse Pinkman fills The RV's tank. Realizing that he has no cash, he charms the cashier girl into taking some freshly manufactured blue meth as payment. Summary Mike Ehrmantraut visits Saul Goodman and plays an audio recording of Skyler White and Walter White's fight over her affair with Ted Beneke. Skyler admits that Walt called her bluff about having him arrested, but whether he stays or goes, she says, "We are not married anymore." Walt heads to Beneke Fabricators to confront Ted, who refuses to see him. "You don't want to be a man about it?" Walt shouts. As Skyler and her co-workers watch, Walt hurls a huge potted plant at an inside window of Ted's office. It bounces off harmlessly. Three warehouse men arrive and toss Walt out the front door. Seconds later, Mike drives up and whisks him away. "Consider this an intervention," Saul tells Walt back at the law office. "Did you bug my house?" Walt asks, wondering how Saul knew where to find him. Saul admits he did, and Walt tackles him. "You're fired!" Walt screams. "I'm unplugging the website, so no more money laundering!" Saul screams back. Mike removes the bugs from Walt's house. "You know, Walter," he says, "sometimes it doesn't hurt to have someone watching your back." As Mike drives away, his tires roll over a chalk drawing of a scythe (a long curved blade often symbolic of death). At school, Carmen calls a distracted Walt into her office to discuss his erratic behavior in class. Walt awkwardly tries to kiss her. Carmen backs away from him, alarmed at his strange behavior. A somber Marie Schrader drops Hank Schrader at the airport. "El Paso's like the Super Bowl," Hank explains. "What about last time?" she replies. After Marie drives off, Hank receives a call from the Albuquerque sheriff: The blue meth has reappeared. Hank hails a cab back to town, abandoning his El Paso assignment. Back at school, Carmen has placed Walt on indefinite leave. In the parking lot, he comes across Jesse, who shows off the blue meth he cooked. "This is my product," Walt snarls, nitpicking about flaws in Jesse's process. Refusing a request to set up a meeting with Gustavo Fring, Walt tells Jesse, "My guy is a pro, and he doesn't deal with junkies." Over at Beneke, a co-worker ignores Skyler's efforts at small talk. Later that day, Skyler and Ted have sex at his house. Afterward, Ted asks Skyler what went wrong with her marriage. "I don't feel really comfortable talking about it," Skyler says. In an interrogation room, Hank and Steven Gomez attempt to coax information out of a tweaker about the blue meth's source: The guy's name began with an "M," the meth-head recalls. Hank wants to pursue this possible Heisenberg lead, but Gomez thinks it's inconsequential. Hank should just report to El Paso. "I'm gettin' tired of all the second guessing," Hank replies tersely. Jesse visits Saul and displays his bag of crystal. "You know the guy who knows the guy, right?" Jesse asks. Mike meets Gus in a parking lot and reports that Walt is physically fine but mentally "a disaster," and unlikely to return voluntarily to meth cooking. Describing the scythe drawing, Mike asks, "Why not just tell him you're the only thing that stands between him and an axe in the head?" "I don't believe fear to be an effective motivator," Gus responds. Mike relays Saul's request for a meeting with Jesse. Gus reiterates his policy against dealing with junkies, but reconsiders upon learning that Walt and Jesse aren't getting along. "Do the deal," he says. While following up on the tweaker's tip, Hank listens to an urgent voicemail message from ASAC Merkert. "I've got Texas breathing down my neck," says his boss. At the gas station, Hank catches the cashier girl in a lie. Sobbing, she admits that a guy with an RV paid her with meth, which she passed along to a friend named Matt. The gas station's security camera doesn't work, but Hank notices an ATM whose camera points at the gas pumps. "Bingo," he says. Over an awkward breakfast with his parents, Walter White Jr. reports that SaveWalterWhite.com donations have ceased. Walter, Jr. suggests that since Walt is on leave, his dad can watch Holly so that Skyler doesn't have to bring the baby to work. "We'll see," Skyler says. At an isolated underpass, Jesse delivers the meth to Victor, but complains when he only receives half the payment. "It's your half," says Victor. Hank meets with ASAC George Merkert at the DEA. "Are you going to El Paso now? Tonight?" the ASAC asks. "No," Hank replies, then covers, "But that's only because I'm really close to something big here." "Better get to it then," the ASAC says. Walt, driving his car, listens to a radio report that Jane Margolis's father, Donald Margolis, has attempted suicide. A car pulls alongside Walt at a red light. Its driver, Victor, tosses a paper bag stuffed with money into Walt's car. "Your half," he says before speeding away. Walt ponders the cash until the light turns green. He drives off. Credits Main Cast * Bryan Cranston as Walter White * Anna Gunn as Skyler White * Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman * Dean Norris as Hank Schrader * Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader * RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr. * Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman * Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo Fring * Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut Supporting Cast * Christopher Cousins as Ted Beneke * Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez * Carmen Serano as Principal Carmen Molina * Michael Shamus Wiles as ASAC George Merkert * Jolene Purdy as Cara * Jeremiah Bitsui as Victor * Catherine Haun as Margaret * Mark Hanson as Burnout * Parker Sisty as Saul's Client Trivia *The episode's name is a double-entendre referencing the fact that Walt is (unknowingly) dealing with Gus again, having been given the "green light", or go-ahead, to make meth. To this end, the episode comically and symbolically ends with the final shot being that of a green traffic signal. *The episode's title could also be a reference to the story Walt tells Marie in the cafeteria, where he says on the way to the hospital for his surgery, every single light they hit was green. *"I don't believe fear to be an effective motivator," Gus responds to Mike. However, inducing fear is what he uses to motivate people regularly, not to interfere or to do as they are told. E.g. the killing in the lab in front of Walt and Jesse, of one of his coworkers instead of them (episode); the killing of the Mexican cartel members ; and ultimately the threat to kill Walt's family . Featured Music *'"Battle Hymn of the Republic"' by Pat Boone (in the reception of Saul's office) *'"America the Beautiful"' by U.S. Marine Band (in the reception of Saul's office) *'"Hank in Pursuit"' by Dave Porter (as Hank leaves the gas station and looks at the ATM) *'"In the Valley of the Sun"' by Buddy Stuart (in Walt's car near the end of the episode) See also * Green Light subtitles es:Green Light Category:Season 3 episodes Category:Breaking Bad episodes